Guest guest Posted September 10, 2000 Report Share Posted September 10, 2000 At 11:14 PM 9/8/00 +0900, Bhadra Govinda (das) JPS (Singapore - SG) wrote: >>But since society means 99% grhastha, > >I do not know where you got that fantastic figure of 99%, but logically it >should be 25% in a Varnashram society. Unless all our Grihasthas want to >cling on to their administrative positions and decide to leave this world as >Grihasthas. But according to Shastra they have to follow in the footsteps >of Yudhisthira Maharaja. Where so you get the fantastic figure of 25%? If only 1/4 of society were grihasthas, who would support the other 75%? That's similar to the problem the US faces in the near future, with progressively fewer workers supporting more and more old pensioners. It's not going to work. And we should note Srila Prabhupada's example of old age. He simply dedicated his life to preaching, whcih did not preclude managing when necessary. He personally told me that devotees and devotional service cannot be stereotyped, and there is nothing that cannot be engaged in Krishna's service. The only trick, he said is that we require guidance from the expert spiritual master how to engage everything in Krishna's service. Babhru das Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2000 Report Share Posted September 11, 2000 In a message dated 9/10/00 10:14:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Vaiyasaki.ACBSP (AT) pamho (DOT) net, responding to Bhadra Balaram, writes: < If the GBC must resign immediately, then all the >TPs who are above 50 must resign immediately. Can you please enlighten me >how we can implement this immediately? The resignation of the GBC was proposed due to failure in performing their duty. It has nothing to do with age! Why do you not understand this simple point? Moreover, 50 is simply an arbitrary number. Srila Prabhupada, for example, did not take vanaprastha until age 63, when he went to Jhansi. To try and force people to take vanaprastha is not only unhealthy, it is fanatical. >> I agree that a "bright line" mandatory retirement age is a bad idea, but the basic principle that one should not remain entangled in worldly business affairs (I'm not necessarily talking about ISKCON management here, which I regard as more direct devotional service) until old age, is an important one. As far as ISKCON management goes, I have heard young devotees and gurukula alums complain that unfortunately the torch is not being passed to a new generation (to paraphrase JFK's inaugural address), or at least not on a sufficient scale. To carry on with this theme of sannyasis getting more directly involved in traveling and preaching and less involved in management, it also makes sense that even older grhastas should be preparing for renunciation and should be training their children and other promising young candidates to take on more management responsibilities. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2000 Report Share Posted September 11, 2000 Bhadra-Govinda wrote: > > Varnasrama is already present in some crude form or the other in all > > ages , at all times, in all places. We do not have to make a special > > endeavour to establish that. All Prabhupada wanted us to do was, to > > give Krishna to others. Anantarupa Prabhu answered: > Obviously you have not read any of the many Prabhupada quotes about > varnashram which Janeshvara Prabhu used to post to this conference. > Here is just one of them and there are hundreds of others which contradict > your thesis: > "Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended, sthane sthita. And if they do not > remain in the sthana, then the sahajiyas chanting will come. The sahajiyas > also have beads but they have got three dozen women. this kind of chanting > will go on. Just like our ....He was not fit for sannyasa but he was given > sannyasa and five women he was attached and he disclosed.Therefore > varnashrama dharma is required. Simply show bottle will not do. So the > varnashrama dharma should be introduced all over the world and ... > Satsvarupa: Introduced starting with ISKCON community? > Prabhupada: Yes.Yes. Brahmana, kshatriyas. There must be regular > education. > ys Anantarupa das Krsna-kirtana comments: Wow! That was a super-excellent answer, Anantarupa Prabhu. Thank you for uncovering this outstanding quote from Srila Prabhupada. Most enlivening and refreshing excerpt, in my humble opinion. Your servant in Srila Prabhupada's mission, Krsna-kirtana dasi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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